Index system.



No. 821,710. PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. f 1). E. FREEMAN.

INDEX SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED 0(JT.9, 1905 2 QEE'ETS-SHEET l.

NUMERICAL INDEX OF WAYBILLS REC AND STATION PRO 0R EX SILL N0- ANDSTATION PRO OR 7'1 4 NUMEFIKAL uvusx or vJAYBH-LS RECD. )wo smmm PRO on:x. BILL No.

PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z D, E. FREEMAN. INDEX SYSTEIVL APPLICATION FILED OUT.

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DOUGLAS E. FREEMAN, F TAMPA, FLOltlDA, ASSiGNOR OF ONE-HALF TQ CHARLESK. GRABLE, 0F TAMPA, FLORIDA.

ENDEX Specification of Letters Patent.

SYSTEM latented May 29, 1906.

signed for indexing way-bills and to make use of the way-bill number asa key to the page and column of a record-book in which an entry oftheWay-bill is kept.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of an index-pageembodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a view of away-bill. Fig. 3 is a view of a station-expense bill. Fig. 4 is a detailview illustrating a modification. Fig. 5 is a view showing the manner ofnumbering the initial pages of the book.

in setting forth the present invention a description of one of thepagesof the index will first be given, and then the manner of making theentries in connection with the way-bills and stationexpense bills willbe explained. V v

Upon reference to Fig. l of the drawings, wherein has been shown at'Aone of the index-p'ages, it will be seen that this page is divided intoa series of main columns, each of which has been designated B, extendingfrom the top to the bottom of the page, with a transverse l1ea(ling-c.)lu1m1 extending entirely across the/page attbc topsof the maincolumns. The transverse beadingcolumn 0 is of course intersected andsubdivided by the main longitudinal columns B, and in these subdivisionsappear the numerals from U to 9 in their numerical succession from leftto right of the page. Each of the main columns is subdivided into foursupplemental columns, of which the lefthand column is designed toreceive the name of the place from which the .way-bill was received, andit is therefore headed W. B. From. The next column is designed toreceive the date of the way-bill and is appropriately header W. B. Date.The next column is designed to receive the way-bill number and istherefore headed WV. B. No, while the next column isdesigned to re ceivethe number of the station-expense bill, or what is technically known asthe Station Pro, and is therefore headed Station Pro. tVithin theright-hand portion of each W. B. No. column the page-number, which inthe present illustration is 75, is printed to form a column inaccordance with the number of entries the W. B. No. column is capable ofcontaining. Prefixed to each of the numbers 75 in each of the columns isthe number of the respective column, there being a space at theleft-hand side of the members of each column of numbers for thereception of an entry, as will be hereinafter described. In making useof the present index when a way-bill is received-such for instance, asillustrated at D in Fig. 2 of the drawings-an entry of the Way-bill ismade in the index, the location of the entry being determined by theway-bill number, which is shown at E and in this instance is L- 3475. Inaccordance with the present method the last two di its of the way-billnumber indicate the page of the index upon which the entry is to bemade, which in the presentinstance is 75, while the third from the lastdigit, which is 4, indicates the column in which the entry is to bemade. To enter the present way-bill, the clerk turns to page 75 andmakes the entry at any point in column 4 thereof, it of course beingcustomary to make the entry immediately following the last entry. It isdesigned to have the indexpage and the entry made in contrastingcolors-for instance, the column of numbers being printed in black andthe entries made with red ink. Thepresent entry is made by writing inthe W. B. From column the name of the station from which the way-billwas rcccived-for instance, J acksonville-the date of the way-bill beingentered in the next column and the remaining characters of the way-bill'number prefixed to the printed number 475 in. alinement with the placeand date entry. Either before or after the way-bill has been entered inthe index and date of the way-bill.

out according to some approved form, such as shown in l? in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. Upon this bill is entered the date of the receipt oi theway-bill and the number and The Expense Bill or a tation Pro. is ofcourse given; a serial number, as shown at G, which in the presentinstance is 1080, and the number 1080 is entered in the Station Pro.column.

The present index has been designed for quickly obtaining the number ofthe Ere cated by looking for the characters which first page is numbered00,

are prefixed to the last three digits of the way bill number. W hen away-bill number has been located, the Expense Bill or Station Pro.number will be found in the next adj acent right-hand column, which inthe present instance is 1080.

When an index-book covers a period of a year only, the date of theStation Pro. is not entered but where the book covers a period of morethan a year it will be found useful to also enter the date of theStation Pro, andto permit of entering the date and number of the StationPro. it is proposed to employ a double column, as indicated in Fig. 4-of the drawings, one ha f the column being-provided with the headingDate l and the other with the heading .l lo. By preference thedate-section oi the Station Pro. column is adjacent the Way-bill No.col- .urnn in order thatthere may be no confusion between the Way-billStation Pro. numbers.

To providefor the entry of way-bills whose three final digits includeone or more naughts, the initial pages of the book are numbered, asindicated in Fig. 5that is to say, the

the second 01, the third 02, and so on to 09, after. which the pages arenumbered consecutively from 10 upward. In. explanation of the utility ofthis numbering of the pages it will be supposed that it is desired tolook up a way-bill whose final digits are 00. The book is opened-to thepage numbered 00, and the way-bill entry will be found in the maincolumn of this page, according to the digit that precedes the naughts ofthe W. B. No. Again, to ascertain the location of a numbers and theway-bill whose last three digits are/30W the book should be opened topage-numberg9, and the entry will be found in the third 3 unm.

*xpense Bill or Station Pro. is made I 2. An index-sheet havingasheetmumber,

and numbered columns of stock-figures, each column of figures being madeup of the sheetnumber and the column-number prefixed thereto.

3'. An index-sheet having a sheet-number, a series of ruled columnsnumbered consecutivelyqfrom 0 to 9, each column having a colu jmn ofstock-figures made up of the page-number and the column-number pre- Ifixed thereto.

4. An index-sheet having a sheet-number, and numbered columns ofstock-fi 'ures, each column of figures being made up 0 the sheetnumberand the column-number, there being a space infront oi each column offigures for the entry of characters prefixed to the stockfigures. 1

5. An index-sheet having a sheet-number and a series of numbered ruledcolumns which are subdivided, one subdivision of each column having acolumn of figures made up of the sheet-number and the OOlHIIl-Il-IIUIIPher, there being a space in front of each column of figures for theentry of characters prefixed to the stock-figures.

6. An index-book having its initial pages successively numbered 0O, O1and so on to 09, the succeeding pages being consecutively numbered from10 upward, each page being divided into a series of columns numberedfrom 0 -to 9, each column being subdivided into supplemental columns,and one supplemental column of each main column having a column ofstock-figures made up of the page-number with the columnnumber prefixedthereto, there-being a space in front of each column of figures for theentry of characters to be prefixed to the figures. 7. An index-sheethaving a sheetnumber, the sheet being divided into a plurality of maincolumns numbered consecutively from O to (59, each main column beingsubdivided into supplemental columns which have the respectiveh'eadingsIV. E. From,W.

B. Date, W. B. No, and.StationPro.,-. 5

the W. B. No. column having a column oi figures made up of thesheet-number with the respective main column number prefixed thereto,there being a spacein front of each.

column of figures for the entry of characters to be prefixed thereto.

8. An indeX-sheet having a sheet-number, the sheet being divided into aplurality of;

main columns numbered consecutively from (0171 0 H9, vided intosupplemental columns which have the respective headings W. B. From, W.B. Date, .W. B. No., and "Station Pro.,

each main column being subdithe W. B. No. column having a column orfigures made up of-the sheet-number with the respective main-columnnumber prefixed thereto, there'being a space in front of each column offigures for the entry oi characters to be prefixed thereto, the StationPro. column being divided into two columns which are respectively headedDate and No.

9. An index-sheet having a sheet-number and a series of numbered maincolumns, each main column being subdivided into su plemental columns,one of the su plementa columns being subdivided and its subdivisionsmain-column number, there being a space in.

front of the column of figuresfor the entry of characters to be prefixedthereto.

In testimony that I claim the i'oregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

noUcLAs E. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

DJfM. SMITH, R. T. CULLEN.

